Madeline, her lady's maid, put the last pin into Amelia's coiffure. Tendrils of the dark mass hung down on each side of her face, curled against her skin. A lovely young miss stared back at her. She was holding her breath, then forced it out nervously. Mister Appleton would be there soon and she wasn't sure if he would think ill of her for the color of her gown. It was a rich blue, neither too dark, nor too light against the olive skin tone. The blue set off the brown in her eyes, the pearls at her throat felt heavy and foreign. She looked like a lady, a rich one. The dress was at the height of fashion... it was beautiful and fit her perfectly, as it had been tailored to her body. 

"There now... You look stunning, miss!" The maid said in obvious satisfaction. Her eyes swept over her new mistress with approval. "If this doesn't secure your future with Mister Appleton, I'll be quite surprised. You're absolutely beautiful now that you have real clothing. The gray garb you wear doesn't suit you at all, you need blues and magentas, golds and bold, darker colors. The gray was too drab to compliment you, not that you looked bad... Just... Not as bright as you should be. You should be seen, Miss." She said kindly.

Amelia gave a wan smile, placing her hand over her belly and willing herself to breathe. "It's only a marriage of convenience..." she murmured... but it couldn't be denied that she was thrilled to see the handsome lawyer again. He was rather attractive. She only hoped it was the right choice. "But I may as well do something lady like, perhaps... A grand appearance at the top of the stairs?" She was clearly jesting, but the maid nodded emphatically.

"Yes, you should. Nobody could fault you for standing at the top of the stairs."

When the knocker was rapping on the door, heard faintly but it was loud enough that the butler would be alerted and was quite probably heading to retrieve a visitor or passerby. Amelia looked to the maid, then nodded with a smile. She would be a woman to behold for once.

Amelia stood from the dressing table and walked at a leisurely pace. By the time she reached the top of the grand staircase, whoever had knocked would have had time enough to get into the large foyer that also served as a ballroom. She looked down and rested a gloved hand upon the banister. Then, her eyes moved about to lock with the gaze of whoever had come to see her. Hopefully, they'd lock into his, and she would give a slight nod before descending in a graceful manner.